The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

“Meanwhile, O monarch, Govinda, knowing that
Drona, that foremost of warriors, was capable of sweeping
all the Pandavas off the face of the earth, became
much distressed. Addressing Yudhishthira he said,
’If Drona fighteth, filled with rage, for even
half-a-day, I tell thee truly, thy army will then
be annihilated. Save us, then, from Drona. under
such circumstances, falsehood is better than truth.
By telling an untruth for saving a life, one is not
touched by sin. There is no sin in untruth spoken
unto women, or in marriages, or for saving king, or
for rescuing a Brahmana.’[252] While Govinda
and Yudhishthira were thus talking with each other,
Bhimasena (addressing the king) said, ’As soon,
O monarch, as I heard of the means by which the high-souled
Drona might be slain, putting forth my prowess in
battle, I immediately slew a mighty elephant, like
unto the elephant of Sakra himself, belonging to Indravarman,
the chief of the Malavas, who was standing within
thy army. I then went to Drona and told him,
’Aswatthaman has been slain, O Brahmana!
Cease, then, to fight. Verily, O bull among men,
the preceptor did not believe in the truth of words.
Desirous of victory as thou art, accept the advice
of Govinda. Tell Drona, O King, that the son
of Saradwat’s daughter is no more. Told
by thee, that bull among Brahmanas will never fight.
Thou, O ruler of men, art reputed to be truthful in
the three worlds.’ Hearing those words
of Bhima and induced by the counsels of Krishna, and
owing also to the inevitability of destiny, O monarch,
Yudhishthira made up his mind to say what he desired.
Fearing to utter an untruth, but earnestly desirous
of victory, Yudhishthira distinctly said that Aswatthaman
was dead, adding indistinctly the world elephant (after
the name), Before this, Yudhishthira’s car had
stayed at a height of four fingers’ breadth
from the surface of the earth; after, however, he had
said that untruth, his (vehicle and) animals touched
the earth. Hearing those words from Yudhishthira,
the mighty car-warrior Drona, afflicted with grief,
for the (supposed) death of his son, yielded to the
influence of despair. By the words, again, of
the Rishis, he regarded himself a great offender against
the high-souled Pandavas. Hearing now about the
death of his son, he became perfectly cheerless and
filled with anxiety; upon beholding Dhrishtadyumna,
O king, that chastiser of foes could not fight as
before.’”

SECTION CXCII

“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Drona filled
with great anxiety and almost deprived of his senses
by grief, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of the Panchala
king, rushed at him. That hero had, for the destruction
of Drona, been obtained by Drupada, that ruler of
men, at a great sacrifice, from the Bearer of sacrificial
libations. Desirous of slaying Drona, he now took
up a victory-giving and formidable bow whose twang
resembled the roll of the clouds, whose string was